Free Republic

First daughter Ashley Biden dialed up the fashion by rocking a tuxedo at Wednesday’s virtual inaugural concert.

A bill that would legalize recreational adult use of marijuana was presented and discussed in a Virginia General Assembly subcommittee Tuesday morning. If the bill passes, recreational marijuana could be legal in the commonwealth in two years. "The prohibition of cannabis in the commonwealth and in our country has failed, and with this bill is a step forward in recognizing that in a responsible way," said state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), who sponsors the bill. The bill would legalize possession and use for anyone 21 and older and allow people to grow up to two mature marijuana plants at home...

According to a Pew survey published one year ago, 91% of Americans think that medical marijuana should be legal, and 62% agree that marijuana in general should be legal. Opposition to making marijuana legal, at 52% in 2010, fell to 32% by November of 2019. In other words, American’s enthusiasm for embracing marijuana is on the rise. In all, 15 states plus Washington DC have now made marijuana legal for recreational purposes for adults over the age of 21, and 33 states have made marijuana legal for medical purposes. Not a Gateway, but Not Desirable EitherFor most people, marijuana is...

"The genetic sequences used in PCRs to detect suspected SARS-CoV-2 and to diagnose cases of illness and death attributed to Covid-19 are present in dozens of sequences of the human genome itself and in those of about a hundred microbes. And that includes the initiators or primers, the most extensive fragments taken at random from their supposed "genome" and even the so-called "target genes" allegedly specific to the "new coronavirus". The test is worthless and all "positive" results obtained so far should be scientifically invalidated and communicated to those affected; and if they are deceased, to their relatives. Stephen Bustin,...

This is how they roll in San Francisco. Smokers in the Golden Gate City have been banned from smoking tobacco in their apartments, but smoking a marijuana joint inside is perfectly fine, officials announced Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors approved the new law in 10 to 1 vote, making San Francisco the largest city in the country to adopt the tough measure against tobacco smokers, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Lawmakers originally proposed to ban marijuana smoking in buildings, but they reversed their position after cannabis activists protested

Home cultivation has emerged as a clear sticking point in cannabis reform across many states.While it faces pushback, including from several cannabis brands, home grow is making incremental progress in medical and adult use markets, and ushering in a variety of parameters to meet state needs. The issue has made more progress than other key advocate issues, such as social equity. Yet, industry professionals say more could be done to improve access and curb industry greed.Those supporting home grow believe that it is a way to provide affordable cannabis to low income individuals, as well as to those customers who...

According to the Associated Press, Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed Prop 207 this month to legalize the possession and usage of recreational marijuana. The Mint Dispensary in Tempe, Arizona is taking advantage of the drug's popularity with their latest concoction: cannabis-infused turkey gravy for the non-traditional Thanksgiving spread. While Prop 207 has passed, the state has not yet officially legalized recreational marijuana. Therefore only patients possessing a medicinal marijuana card will be able to purchase a warm Thanksgiving meal customized with a dose of cannabis now through Thanksgiving Day. The featured sides include cranberry sauce, cornbread, and -- of course --...

As a libertarian, I think it’s reprehensible that liberals are against medical marijuana, and also reprehensible that they tried to raise the price of wheat at a time when millions of Americans were hungry. I hope Amy Coney Barrett will help overturn these rulings. In the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case Gonzales v. Raich, the court ruled that a person who grew and smoked their own medical marijuana was engaging in interstate commerce, even thought the marijuana never crossed state lines, and no money changed hands.Voting for the majority were Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Scalia.The dissenters were O’Connor, Rehnquist,...

Newly-released data shows the majority of Colorado’s youth are participating in healthy behaviors and that marijuana use among school-aged children has not significantly changed since legalization. The data comes from the bi-annual statewide Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) conducted last year with more than 100,000 students participating. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released the results of the survey Monday. The survey shows marijuana use among school-aged kids has stayed relatively flat since legalization, but the way kids are using marijuana has changed. In 2019, 20.6% of youth said they use marijuana compared to 19.4% in 2017....

The American Heart Association is warning that marijuana use shows “substantial risks” and “no benefit” in cardiovascular health, and its deputy chief science and medical officer is recommending that people “not smoke or vape any substance, including cannabis products, because of the potential harm to the heart, lungs and blood vessels.” Marijuana contains the psychoactive chemical THC (which gives users the “high”), as well as more than 100 compounds (cannabinoids, such as the popular cannabidiol, or CBD ) chemically related to THC that are still not entirely understood. Studies suggest that they inhibit some enzymes in the body that can...

Police escorted the fiancé of Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried off the premises of the Westin Beach Resort in Ft. Lauderdale Beach last weekend after a witness said he threw a trash can during a public argument that ended with them getting in a vehicle, driving over a curb and then heading south down State Road A1A with a flat tire. [Snip] Fried is the only statewide elected Democrat in Florida and viewed as a possible 2022 candidate for governor or U.S. Senate. Her spokeswoman told the Miami Herald that “an argument with her fiancé escalated further than either...

“Because they are trying to find out whether or not there is any impact on the use of marijuana, not in leading you to other drugs, but what it effects—does it effect long-term development of the brain,” said Biden. “And we should wait ‘til the studies are done. I think science matters.” Charlamagne responded: “I think we got, I think we got decades and decades of studies from actual weed smokers." “Yeah, I do,” said Biden. “I know a lot of weed smokers.”

(Reuters) - In just four years, marijuana use grew by 75% among Americans aged 65 and older, according to a new study, and researchers expressed concern over a lack of information on the potential health implications. The increase was most pronounced in women, those with higher incomes and more education, according to a report published on Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. The findings continue a trend seen over the last decade, said the study's lead author, Benjamin Han, an assistant professor of geriatric medicine and palliative care at the New York University School of Medicine. "Consider that not even 10...

n one breath, liberals say we need to decriminalize drugs and open up the prisons. In the next breath, they shed crocodile tears over the drug crisis and homelessness. The same people who demand that Congress and state governments spend even more money to “combat” the twin drug and homelessness crises never seem to connect the dots back to their decriminalization policies or admit that they are causing a rise in crime. around 2014-2015 is when the drug crisis exploded nationwide, including in California, roughly around the same time homelessness soared, particularly in the Golden State, along with the rise...

George Soros was named “Philanthropist of the Year” by Inside Philanthropy magazine for his “…fight for academic freedom in Central Europe, and his resistance to the rising tide of authoritarianism worldwide.” The former is a reference to gender studies programs and the latter concerns his ongoing campaign to undermine existing governments, causing chaos that makes more money for hedge fund currency manipulators and short-sellers like himself. In the United States, he is best known for almost single-handedly creating a narco-nation through legalization of marijuana, causing human suffering and environmental devastation on a scale most people do not yet comprehend. With...

Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that he would throw his weight behind the decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia this year but said he wants to study full legalization before going further. Northam announced legislation Friday that would make possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil offense carrying a $50 penalty, instead of a criminal misdemeanor. The proposal is part of a broader “criminal justice reform agenda” that includes changes to the state’s parole system, a higher threshold for theft to be considered a felony, and an increase to the age at which a young offender can be tried...

Fairfax County, Virginia: The largest county in Virginia with a population of 1.2 million people, elected a George Soros-backed prosecutor for a leftist re-design of criminal prosecution. On January 1, 2020, the Soros plant, Steve Descano, took office. The very next day, he announced that Fairfax County is officially a marijuana possession sanctuary. Fairfax is already a sanctuary city for illegal aliens.  Descano declared this position during his campaign, saying, "I would not prosecute cases of marijuana possession." Descano called his approach to criminal justice reform "a holistic approach." He reaffirmed his position a few weeks ago on Twitter, stating that marijuana possession...

“A few years ago, it was rare to see a young person enter Caron with marijuana-induced psychosis,” said Garbely. “Now we see it on a regular basis. Older teens and young adults — approximately ages 18 to 26 — are the most impacted. We see a significant misperception about the safety and efficacy of marijuana among our teen and young-adult patient population.”

The fatal mugging of Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors in Morningside Park last week — allegedly at the hands of three boys ages 13 and 14 — came as little surprise in a neighborhood already reeling from rising crime and roving bands of ­violent youths. The park was the most dangerous in the city for muggings in the first nine months of 2019, logging 11 robberies in that period, according to NYPD statistics. By comparison, there were 10 reported muggings in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and nine in Claremont Park in The Bronx in that same period. Reports of violent crime...

SAN ANTONIO – Midway through a sold out two night stand at the Majestic Theater here, country music icon Willie Nelson said that in spite of recent breathing related health issues, he has no plans to give up touring. “I love the bus,” he told KSAT TV’s Paul Venema during a recent interview. “This is my home.” Performing, he says, is his key to happiness and good health. “It’s an energy exchange,” he said, describing his relationship with the audience. “They give me a lot of positive energy and I hope to give them a lot of positive energy.” He...